Real-Life Math
You are a wildlife rehabilitator in an aquarium. You work with sea
mammals such as seals, otters, sea lions, dolphins and whales.
One day,
the rescue team brings in a seal pup. The little pup was hit by a boat. It
has a lot of cuts, but it will survive if it does not get an infection.
The
veterinarian checks the seal and tells you to give the little animal an antibiotic
twice a day. The dosage is written on the bottle, he tells you.
You
get the bottle and read the dosage. You are glad you studied mathematics,
because you are going to have to figure out how much medication to administer.
It's important that you administer the right amount for the pup's weight.
If you give too much, there will be side effects and it could make the seal
sick. If you give too little, the antibiotic won't work and the seal could
get an infection.
The seal weighs 10 kilograms. Remember that 1 kilogram
is equal to 2.2 pounds.
The bottle says to administer 1.6 milligrams
per pound of weight.
How much antibiotic should you administer?